A Good Dumpling is Hard to Find

So I absolutely love dumplings, however, most dumplings from your local Chinese restaurant are filled with a mystery meat that makes you seriously wonder what happened that family of cats that use to hang around the neighborhood. Solution: I learned to make my own.

Pork and Shrimp Dumplings

Equipment

Food Processor
Wok
Bamboo Steamer(Found at Chinese market or online)

Filling
1/2 lb shrimp
1/2 lb lean ground pork(if you don't eat pork, substitute with a bag of steamed baby spinach or ground turkey)
1 scallion, roughly chopped, green and white parts
2 cloves garlic minced
1 inch piece of ginger, minced
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
2 tablespoons of oyster sauce
1 tablespoon of cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons of sesame oil
1 teaspoon of white pepper
1 egg white
pinch of salt

1 package of won ton wrappers
Nappa Cabbage

Place all of the filling ingredients in the food processor, pulse until mixture is thoroughly mixed.

Brush the edges of each wrapper with water. Spoon about a tablespoon of the filling into the center of each wrapper and fold the dough over to form triangles. Press the edges to seal. Repeat until all of the filling is used.

Bring about 2-3 inches of water to a boil in the wok. Line the the bamboo steamer with cabbage, then place dumplings in the steamer, make sure they are not touching, as you do not want them to stick together. Place covered bamboo steamer on the wok and allow the dumplings to steam for 12-14 minutes or until they feel firm.

Repeat until all of the dumplings are steamed, add water to the wok as needed.

Serve with sweet chilli sauce and sriracha.

Empanadas!!!

Beef and Chicken Empanadas

Last March I traveled to Brazil for the second time in 5 years. What a difference 5 years made in the Brazilian economy because I distinctly remember the US dollar going a lot further in January 2006. Anyway I digress, Brahma or Skol beer and an empanada was pretty much a staple for my fellow travelers and I because it was a cheap breakfast or lunch...yes we had beer in the morning on Ipanema Beach, I know you're jealous. I can't quite replicate the Brazilian empananda because I'm awful at making anything that involves dough and a Brazilian empanada is usually baked not fried. However, Goya makes awesome empanada shells that make my life a lot easier when I'm craving empanandas.

Beef Empandas

1 Packet of defrosted Empanada Shells
1 lb of Ground Beef
1 cup of finely chopped Green and Red Peppers
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup of beef broth
1/2 cup of seasoned or unseasoned bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon of McCormick Caribbean Jerk seasoning
1/2 Packet of Goya Sazon
1 Teaspoon of Badia Complete Seasoning
1 Tablespoon of Goya Tomato Based Sofrito
2 Tablespoons of Goya Tomato Sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste

Allow empanada shells to defrost according to package instructions

In a medium skillet/frying pan over medium-high heat saute the onion, peppers, and garlic in olive oil until limp. Add ground beef and season with salt, pepper, badia seasoning, jerk seasoning, and sazon and saute until thoroughly cooked. Then add tomato sauce, sofrito, bread crumbs, and broth, then lower heat and allow the mixture to simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from heat.

Preheat Deep Fryer to 350 degrees. While the mixture is cooling, use a rolling pin or wine bottle and slightly roll out the defrosted dough. Take a 1-2 teaspoons of the mixture and place in the center of the dough.

Fold the dough over.

Seal with a fork.

Place 2-3 empanadas in the deep fryer and fry for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool and drain on a plate of empanadas. Serve with homemade or store bought salsa.

The recipe is basically the same for chicken, except a few minor changes.

1 Packet of defrosted Empanada Shells
1 lb of boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs
1 cup of finely chopped Green and Red Peppers
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3/4 cup of chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon of McCormick Caribbean Jerk seasoning
1/2 Packet of Goya Sazon
1 Teaspoon of Badia Complete Seasoning
1 Tablespoon of Goya Tomato Based Sofrito
2 Tablespoons of Goya Tomato Sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a very deep skillet or dutch oven saute the onions, peppers, and garlic in olive oil until limp. Cut up chicken into cubes, then season with salt, pepper, badia seasoning, jerk seasoning, and sazon and add to the pot and brown on all sides. Then add tomato sauce, sofrito, and broth, then lower heat and allow the mixture to simmer for 30-40  minutes or until the chicken easily shreds. Shred chicken with two forks and allow the mixture to cool.

Preheat Deep Fryer to 350 degrees. While the mixture is cooling, use a rolling pin or wine bottle and slightly roll out the defrosted dough. Take a 1-2 teaspoons of the mixture and place in the center of the dough.

Fold the dough over.

Seal with a fork.

Place 2-3 empanadas in the deep fryer and fry for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool and drain on a plate of paper towels. Serve with homemade or store bought salsa.

Braised Short Ribs

I’ve been majorly slacking on my blog and cooking in general. As usual, I’ve been on the move and this past weekend was my first weekend in Delaware since the end of September. I’ll try to post some Thanksgiving recipes this month. Stacy, here’s the short ribs recipe as promised.

P.S.: I know blogs are nothing without pics but I couldn’t get a good shot.

Short Ribs
2 tbls olive oil
2 1/2 to 3 lbs beef short ribs
salt, pepper
1 sm onion, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, trimmed and finely chopped
5 garlic cloves
1 cup dry red wine
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes with liquid
2 tbls tomato paste
1 tsp crushed dried oregano
1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves
1 cup baby carrots, halved if large

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

Heat oil in a large oven proof pot(dutch oven). Season short ribs with salt and pepper to taste.
Add to pot and brown over medium heat 5 minutes per side. Remove meat Add onion and celery to pot an saute 5 minutes. Add garlic, wine, tomatoes and tomato paste, and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits in pit. Reduce heat to low.

Stir in oregano, rosemary, bay leaves and carrots. Return short ribs topt and baste with liquid. Cover pot and bake in oven 3 hours, stirring halfway through cooing time. When meat is tender, remove from oven. discard bay leaves.

Curry in a Hurry

Curry Chicken

Ingredients
1 whole chicken fryer
4-5 Tbsp of Blue Mountain Curry Powder
3 minced garlic cloves
2 Tbsp of McCormick Jerk Seasoning or Lawry's Jerk Marinade
Kosher Salt and Pepper
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 coconut milk
1 potato
3 Tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil
1 sprig of thyme

Cut the chicken into the 8 pieces, then smaller pieces if you wish (If you are squeamish about cutting up a whole chicken, most supermarkets sell a whole chicken cut up already). Season chicken with 2 tbsp of curry powder, salt, pepper, and jerk seasoning. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours. Once the chicken has marinated, heat oil in large pot on medium high, add remaining curry powder and garlic. Cook the curry powder and oil until it changes color, about 2 minutes. Then add chicken. Once the chicken is browned on all sides, add chicken broth, coconut milk, and thyme. Cook on medium high for about 30 minutes. When the chicken is almost done, add potatoes and turn heat down to low and allow to simmer for an additional 20 minutes. Serve with rice and peas.

Rice and Peas

Ingredients

2 cups long grain rice(I use Golden Canilla Paraboiled Rice found in the "ethnic" section of market)
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
2 cups of water
1 can dark red kidney beans
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 sprigs of thyme
2 cloves of garlic minced
1/2 small onion finely chopped
kosher salt

Drain liquid from kidney beans into a measuring cup, add coconut milk(should make 2 cups of liquid). Add all liquids, kidney beans, onions, garlic, thyme, olive oil and salt to pot. Bring to boil, then add rice. Allow rice to boil for 2 minutes at medium high heat, then turn heat to low and cover. Cook for 20 minutes or until water is gone.

Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients
1lb Ground Turkey(Check the serial number)
1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp finely chopped basil
1/4 cup diced onions
3 minced garlic cloves
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup grated pecorino romano
1/4 milk
1 egg 
1 tsp each dried oregano, onion powder, and garlic powder

• Store bought Marinara Sauce(I use Bertolli Marinara with Burgundy Wine)

Preheat oven to 400°. Add all of the ingredients(except marinara sauce) to a large bowl and blend. Shape turkey mixture into mini meatballs(about 1-1 1/2 inch in diameter). Place on baking sheet. 

Bake for 30-40 minutes. Heat marinara sauce in a large pot, then add meatballs. Serve with pasta. 

Sunday Brunch

For those of you who have never been to my house, I live in middle of nowhere, Middletown. Land of newly built McMansions, townhouses, corn fields, and fast food and restaurant chains. Unlike in NYC and other major cities, there really aren't any appealing breakfast/ brunch options in Delaware ( Kidshelleen's is the exception). We do have a Waffle House in Middletown but I quickly discovered that their food is only appetizing to me after I've had about 3-4 cocktails. Needless to say, I have a number of  recipes for Saturday and Sunday brunch. Whenever we have house guests on the weekends, I generally use one of these two recipes:

Fried Catfish

Ingredients
4-6 Catfish Fillets
1 cup Milk
1 cup Flour
1 Tbsp. Badia Sazon Complete
2 tsp. Onion Powder
2 tsp. Garlic Powder
A few splashes of Frank's Red Hot
Kosher Salt and Pepper to Taste

Preheat vegetable/Canola oil to 350. Rinse fish with cold water, place in a bowl, let soak in milk for at least 15-30 minutes. Pour out excess milk, do not rinse the fish again. Add lemon juice, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, kosher salt, Badia Sazon, and Franks Red Hot. In separate bowl combine flour with black pepper and kosher salt to taste. Bread fish and place in pan or deep fryer. Fry for 8-10 minutes or until the fish is golden brown. Once removed, drain off excess oil  on paper towels. Serve with grits and/or home fries.

Shrimp and Cheese Grits

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, halved lengthwise, and deveined
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
1 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
4-6 slices bacon, chopped*
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup sliced scallions
2 Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup low sodium chicken stock
 1 Tbsp Goya Tomato Based Sofrito

*For pescetarians, saute pepper, garlic and onions in butter or olive oil as a substitute for bacon drippings.

Combine the shrimp with the lemon juice and black pepper, set aside. Fry the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until brown. Stir in the onion, green pepper, and garlic and continue cooking for about 5 minutes.

Add the scallions, then sprinkle flour over the mixture, and continue sauteing for 5 minutes longer. Stir in the chicken stock and Sofrito. Then add shrimp, cook until the shrimp are opaque throughout, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and serve immediately with grits.

Cheese Grits

Ingredients
1 cup grits, not instant or quick-cooking
1 to 2 tsp unsalted butter
Salt to taste
2-4 Splashes of Frank's Red Hot or Tabasco Sauce
1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese.

Bring 3 1/2 cups of water and salt to a boil. Whisk in the grits slowly and cover. Reduce the heat to a very low simmer and cook over low heat for 45-55 minutes, stirring occasionally at first and more frequently toward the end. Once the grits are thick and creamy, stir in the butter, followed by the cheese. Add a splash of hot pepper sauce.

Real Women Grill

In the July 2011 issue of Bon Appetite, I came across an article that I found to be rather strange. Long Story short, the female author was extremely terrified of her unassuming grill in her backyard and she felt that grilling was a man’s domain. It’s not clear on when or how women were banned from cooking food outside over an open fire. I was constantly surrounded by strong independent women growing up and I’ve only seen two women utilize a grill in my lifetime. I guess that means there is some truth to the stereotype.

I learned to grill last summer and I love it so much, that in brief moments of insanity, I actually considered going outside in the middle of January to fire up the grill. However, I will be honest, my first attempt at grilling chicken came out looking something like this:

As with all cooking techniques, I mastered my grilling techniques with the assistance of cookbooks, the Internet, and indirect heat. Here are my 2 favorite recipes for the grill:

Dry Rub(Can be Used on Chicken or Baby Back Ribs)
1 tsp. Onion Powder
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 Tbsp. Black Pepper
1 Tbsp. Kosher Salt
1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
½ tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Cumin
1 tsp. Ancho Chile Pepper (McCormick Gourmet Collection)
1 tsp. Smoked Paprika or Paprika
2-4 Tbsp. packed brown sugar

Ingredients:

Chicken quarters and split chicken breasts
Juice of half a lime
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

Entirely coat chicken with dry rub, then place chicken, olive oil, and lime juice in a resealable plastic bag. Refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours to marinate. Turn on half of the gas grill burners to medium-high heat and brush grates with vegetable oil. Place chicken on the grill, skin side down for 5-8 minutes. Turn the chicken skin side up and cook for an additional 5-8 minutes. Then remove the chicken from the direct heat and place on the other side of the grill and close the cover. Cook for additional 20-40 minutes using indirect heat (cooking time depends on the size of the chicken pieces). When the chicken is almost done brush on your favorite BBQ sauce. If you don’t own a cooking a thermometer, I suggest that you invest in one, as it will prevent you from poisoning dinner guests and yourself. The chicken is done once your thermometer reads at 165 ° and it should look something like this:

Sweet and Spicy Grilled Salmon

1 skin on, Salmon filet, 1-1/2-2 pounds
Olive Oil
Badia Blackened Red Fish Seasoning
Juice of ½ a lemon
4-8 Tbsp of packed brown sugar

Coat salmon with brown sugar and Red Fish seasoning, then squeeze over lemon juice and drizzle with olive oil. Place salmon on heavy duty aluminum foil or cedar plank.

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Place fish directly over heat. Grill until the thickest part of the salmon reaches an internal temperature of 131° on the thermometer. Remove the salmon from the oven and allow to rest, uncovered, for 8 to 10 minutes.